Here are reflections that I have given in various settings: at Fourth Presbyterian Church, at Grace Commons, at St. James, at Wicker Park Grace, or as a guest preacher in other settings.
Today is Epiphany, a day on which we celebrate the appearance of God in human form–the incarnation. Although we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th, today we celebrate the first “appearance” of Jesus to the Gentiles. This marks his being seen by the Magi, the “three kings.” They symbolize the first non-Jews who …
There’s a saying that pastors have about five sermons that they preach again and again throughout their careers. It’s the core message that you want to get across to the world. As I’ve been preaching weekly sermons for two months now, and weekly teachings and reflections for 10 years, I took a moment to list …
One of the techniques we’ve developed at Grace Commons is to read a scripture while inserting commentary as you go. People have told me that this is similar to expository preaching, although I’ve never learned about that specifically. I find that many people are hungry to better understand biblical stories, and definitely want to un-do …
This is the third week of Advent, and at Grace Commons we have a tradition of honoring Mary on this week. In the past we’ve used the theme of Courage and Action, contemplating how much courage it takes sometimes to move into action. Mary, the mother of God, is such a great, courageous example for …
“If you have a situation that seems endless and is a negative situation, don’t wait for a Gandhi, don’t wait for a King, don’t wait for a Mandela. “You are your own Mandela; you are your own Gandhi; you are your own King. You know your issues; you know your concerns, and you know the …